Others, though, say its not a big deal, and may even be a signal of creativity, or individuality that may be an asset in the work place.

How important is grammar in your hiring decisions?

Would you hire the guy that wrote the following?

“Hiring a knew employee is like. Predicing the future you need too make assumption’s from the small slivers of that persons work product that you sea. Insisting on an Oxford comma is perhap’s to far, butt as your reading this, would you, consider hiring me? What if I said too you that Im top’s in my company? Wood you buy it if I say that my righting show’s that Im an out-of-the-box thinker? Dew you think your current employee’s would take to me as a leader. WHat’r the chances that They’ll question you’re judgement in hiring me?”

Eminent domain is “the power of a governmental entity (federal, state, county or city government, school district, hospital district or other agencies) to take private real estate for public use.” The 5th amendment to the constitution makes it legal. The 14th amendment requires that property owners be justly compensated for their confiscated property.

MRP wants to facilitate the process for local governments to seize underwater home loans from lien holders (banks and trusts and other entities that own the mortgages). Under MRP’s plan, the city would pay the mortgage holder “fair market value” for the loan and then refinance with the homeowner at a price that is more in line with the home’s “true market value”. Sounds appealing.

EXCEPT THAT…

LOCAL GOVERNMENTS WOULD BE FORCEFULLY TAKING OWNERSHIP OF PROPERTIES THAT ARE NOT THEIRS! They would “pay” the loan holders an amount MUCH LESS THANTHE CONTRACTUALLY AGREED UPON VALUE of the mortgage. AND they would be settling with the homeowners at a price much lower than the agreed upon contractual value, thus 1) ARTIFICIALLY DEFLATING THE VALUE OF HOMES in the local area, and 2) perpetuating the current attitude that “PEOPLE NO LONGER HAVE TO UPHOLD THEIR CONTRACTUAL OBLIGATIONS; INSTEAD THE GOVERNMENT WILL BAIL US OUT.”

I’ve read a few news articles pertaining to MRP’s plan, and I’ve taken a look at their web site. Although the Whitehouse is currently skeptical about eminent domain as a cure for the mortgage and housing crisis, Steven Gluckstern, Chairman of MRP, helped raise between $100,000 and $500,000 for President Obama in 2008, and sources indicate that he is currently raising money for Obama’s current campaign.

Mark my words, if 1) MRP has its way with eminent domain starting in a few municipalities in California and if 2) Barack Obama wins the upcoming election, the federal government will get in on the action!

We all make decisions based on beliefs that may or may not be true; managing employee turnover is no different. Managers often approach employee retention from at least 1 of 5 common myths:

Myth 1: Employee Turnover is bad.
There is no question that turnover can be extremely harmful to organizations.
Truth is, though, that people leave organizations for all kinds of reasons, and they don’t all have the same implications for managing turnover.

Myth 2: Employee Turnover is all about pay.
It is true that some people quit because they are unhappy with their pay.
Yet, out of 35 predictors, level of pay was near the bottom and tied for the 24th strongest relationship with turnover.

Myth 3: Employee Turnover is about job dissatisfaction.
It is true that job attitudes like job dissatisfaction can lead to turnover.
But research shows that job satisfaction is a driving force in less than 50% of individual turnover decisions .

Myth 4: Employee Turnover is simple to manage with simple strategies.
Sometimes retention is simple.
But top research shows that a strategic evidence-based approach to retention management requires three broad foundations: developing a shared understanding of turnover among stakeholders; developing knowledge of underlying turnover principles and cause-effect relationships; and diagnosing and adapting to a particular organizational context. Doesn’t sound so simple anymore.

Myth 5: Employee turnover is an uncontrollable cost of doing business.
There are many factors that influence turnover decisions that are outside of managerial control, such as macro-economic conditions and labor market fluctuations.
However, there are evidence-based retention practices over which many managers have direct influence.

The good news is that much can be done in recruitment, training, compensation, and many more arenas to strategically manage employee retention. Even better, many of these same practices are also associated with improved employee productivity and performance.

Want to know more? David Allen and I compiled decades of scientific retention/turnover research into an easy-to-read, easy-to-implement book. Managing Employee Turnover (2012, Business Expert Press).